Vehicles, particularly automobiles, are provided with shock absorbing members for absorbing shocks from outside of the vehicle bodies, against impacts exerted on the vehicle-body side surfaces, so-called side impacts.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes securing a shock absorbing member to a door panel member provided between a door outer panel and a door inner panel such that the shock absorbing member protrudes toward the door outer panel and the door inner panel, and further, providing a brittle portion in the shock absorbing member at its boundary portion between the shock absorbing member and the door panel member, in order to cause the shock absorbing member to break from its brittle portion in the event of impacts exerted on the side surfaces of the vehicle body.
Further, Patent Document 2 describes provision of a shock absorbing member in a vehicle-body front side with respect to a dash panel. This shock absorbing member is structured to include hollow portions extending in the forward and rearward directions of the vehicle body, such that these hollow portions are longitudinally and laterally partitioned by plural partition walls intersecting with each other. Further, Patent Document 3 describes forming a tubular-shaped outer wall portion interposed between a door trim and a door panel, such that the internal space within the outer wall portion is partitioned by plural ribs.